The opening ceremony of the Command and Staff Course (CSC) 15/2025 was held at the Auditorium of the Defence Academy Royal Brunei Armed Forces (DA RBAF) yesterday.
Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi bin Bol Hassan officiated the ceremony as the guest of honour.
The ceremony began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and Surah Al-Anfal, verses 60–66, led by Lieutenant Commander Abdul Azim bin Haji Abdul Rahman, RBN, one of the course participants.
It proceeded with an opening remark by the guest of honour and the flag unfurling ceremony.
The unfurling of the flag symbolises the spirit of cooperation among the nations participating in the course and underscores the importance of fostering strong friendships throughout the course participant’s learning journey. This year, 37 officers enrolled in the course comprising 16 RBAF officers, one officer from the Ministry of Defence, one officer from the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF), and 19 international military officers from 15 countries including Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The Command and Staff Course 15/2025 is designed to enhance the participants’ professional and academic knowledge in relation to contemporary strategic environments and their impact on defence and security.
The course is a 46-week programme in collaboration with Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), which has been the academic provider for the past seven years.
Upon successful completion of the course, participants will be awarded the post-nominal “Passed Staff Course (Joint)” by the DA RBAF, as well as the UBD Master of Defence and Security Studies degree.
UBD Vice-Chancellor Dr Hazri bin Haji Kifle, members of the RBAF Executive Committee, representative from the RBPF, representatives from Foreign Missions in Brunei Darussalam, Resident and Non-Resident Defence Advisers and Defence Attachés to Brunei Darussalam, UBD faculty members, and senior RBAF officers were also in attendance. – Fadley Faisal
